Steam-trap.



PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

J. H. TAYLOR.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 29.1904

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Z 3 5 no 1 h Witnesses .PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

J. H. TAYLOR.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented February 28, 1905.

PATENT Trice.

JOHN H. TAYLOR, OF BATTLECREEK, MICHIGAN.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,910, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed June 28, 1904. Serial No. 214,520.

1'0 (.tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. TAYLoR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battlecreek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates tosteam-engines, and particularly to improvements in steam-traps associated therewith, whereby the water of condensation accumulated in a pipe or vessel containing steam may be discharged without permitting the steam to escape; and the object is to simplify and improve the existing art therein by providing an apparatus or device of simple construction and efiicient and durable and the parts of which are so combined as to accomplish the purposes and to.

perform the required functions cificien tly with certainty and automatically.

The invention comprises generally a receptacle automatically reciprocable in vertical direction, means to automatically control the descent and ascent of the receptacle, infiuent and efliuent pipes leading into and from the receptacle, valves in said pipes, and means connected to the receptacle to actuate the valves.

The invention further consists in the novel construction of parts and their assemblage or aggroupment in operative combinations, all as will be hereinafter fully made patent, and then the asserted novelty will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

The improvements are fully and clearly illustrated in the annexed drawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, and, reference being made thereto, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the complete apparatus, showing the supporting-frame, the receptacle, the actuating-lever, and the pipes leading to and from the receptacle, the dotted lines indicating the infiuent-pipe as extending into the interior of the receptacle, the upper and lower positions of the cou nterbalance levers and weights being indicaied'in full and dotted lines, respectively. Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. .1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the base-plate,showing the influent and the effluent pipes, the vertical two-part stem being in cross-section. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the manner of connecting the end of the valve-actuating lever to the bar on the receptacle.

1n the drawings the same parts appearing in different illustrations are designated by similar reference notations.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the base-plate of the apparatus and constituting the foundation on which it is supported. This plate is made of such strength and area as to lit it for the purposes of its use. At dianietrical points in the plate are formed rounded extensions 1 2, having apertures of the requisite capacity to take the lower ends of the vertical columns 3 4i, which are positioned therein. These columns are made of such height as to suit the capacity of the receptacle which they sustain. At the tops the columns are united by a cross piece or bar secured in position by any proper means and formed at its middle with an apertured enlargement 5, which slidably takes the guide-stem projecting vortically from the top head of the receptacle. A t proper points on the standards or columns are :uljustably secured in war llypro iecting arms 6 7, having apertures in their ends wherein are slidably-disposed vertical bolts 8 9, pro vided with heads, and on their stems between the heads and the arms in which they are positioned are arranged expansive springs 10 11, the purpose being that when the receptacle descends it will rest on these yielding supports and the tendency of lateral displace ment be obviated.

B designates the receptacle into which the steam, with the water of condensation, is delivered and from which the water is discharged. This receptaclc consists of a plain cylinder of such capacity may be required, and is provided with strongly-secured heads, as indicated, the upper one of which may be concaved and the lower one made convex, or in reverse to the upper one, suliistal'itially as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. To the center of the upper head. of the receptacle is firmly secured a vertical guide-rod 12, which is slidably disposed through the aperture in the piece 5 to guide the receptacle in its up and down movements. To the upper end or head of the guide-rod 12 is firmly secured a collar 13, formed with oppositely-projecting ears between which are pivotally secured the inner ends of levers I L 15, which normally rest in upwardly-inclined position, as seen in full lines in Fig. l of the drawings, and are provided with adjustable counterweights 16 17 which under normal conditions hold up the receptacle at the highest point and prevent it from descending until their force is overcome by the accumulation of water in the receptacle. On the cross-bar 18 at determined points are rigidly secured the bases of vertical standards 19 20, to the upper ends of which are secured links 21, having their other ends pivotally secured to the levers 1415. It will now be perceived that when the water accumulates in the receptacle to a quantity sufficient to overcome the force of the weights the receptacle will descend automatically by the preponderance of the force of the water and levers will assume the position indicated by the dotted lines, wherein the weights still stand outward beyond the point of connection of the levers, so that the latter will resume automatically their normal position as the receptacle ascends to its upper position.

22 designates the steam and water influent pipe, and 23 is the water-discharge pipe, positioned on the base-plate of the apparatus, and extending inwardly to the center of the base and to a point in alinement with the vertical center of the receptacle are united into a single vertical pipe 24, having a vertical partition 25, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.1 and seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The vertical limb of the influent-pipe is extended to a suitable height into the receptacle, as seen in the drawings; but the upper end of the vertical limb of the discharge-pipe opens from the receptacle closely adjacent to the bottom thereof, so that the entrance of steam and the water of condensation will not be impeded by the presence of water, and the discharge of the water may be eifected without carrying any of the steam with it. In the bottom of the receptacle is secured a downwardly extending stuffing box 26, slidably surrounding the vertical pipe 24 and of course movable with the receptacle.

In each of the pipes 22 23 is positioned a valve 27 28, the first of which stands normally open and the latter normally closed, so that the steam and water have access through the former, and at stated periods, or as condition of accumulations in the receptacle may require, may be opened to permit the water to discharge freely. Both valves are actuated by a lever 29, fulcrumed to the upper end of a standard 30, mounted on the base-plate with its end pivotally connected to the stem of the valve 28, substantially as shown, the other end of the lever being formed with a ring 31, which loosely fits around the lower portion of a rigidly-depending rod 32, extending from the side of the receptacle, and is held thereto l l l by means of pointed screws 33, led through the ring from opposite points and engaging the rod with their points, as shown clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The valve 27 is positioned in the pipe 22 in that portion leading into the vertical double-way pipe 24 and has a lever 34 connected to its stem, the lever being fulcrumed to the upper end of a supporting-standard 35, rising from the baseplate and extending into engagement with the lever 29, which rests over the free end of the valve-lever, as seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Into the valve-chamber of the valve 27 is let a live-steam pipe 36, which is only utilized when the trap is taking water at low pressure and discharging it against a higher pressure. In the latter instance a check-valve is placed between the low-pressure side of the trap to prevent this live steam from backing into the low pressure steamcoils.

It will be perceived by perusal of the foregoing description, with reference to the drawings, that the construction and arrangement of the coacting members and elements are greatly simplified; that all floats, valves, and levers are dispensed with inside of the receptacle, so that all operative parts are readily accessible for repairs or replacement; that the inflowing water is separated while entering from the accumulated water, and the steam is allowed to remain in the receptacle separated from the water after it enters the receptacle; that the counterweights act in the opposite direction when the receptacle descends to discharge the water, so that they serve the double function of weights and counterweights t0 the receptacle, and thus when they are turned outward, as in the full lines, they hold the receptacle elevated, and when they are moved to the position seen in dotted lines they act as weights to bear the receptacle downward; that the receptacle is always vertical, being maintained in that position by the guide 12 and the pipe 24, and that by making and uniting the influent and the efliuent pipes in a single vertical pipe with a partition the service is still eificient, and the device is provided with a strong and substantial guide at its lower end.

Vhile the distinctive functions of the several parts have been stated in the description, the operation as a whole may be collated as follows: The receptacle is balanced by the levers and weights and remains in vertical position, as stated. The water, with the steam, enters the receptacle through the influentpipe and is carried up the extension within the receptacle until there is sufficient accumulation of water to overbalance the weights on the levers. Then the receptacle descends, and lever 29 opens the discharge-valve 28, which permits the water to pass from the trap to any receiver or to such place as may be provided. As soon as the water has been discharged the tank or receptacle will resume its position in elevation from which it had descended. All these movements are attained automatically.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- I 1. In a steam-trap, sup )orting-columns connected at their upper ends by across-piece having a central guiding-aperture, a vertically-reciproeable receptacle positioned between the columns, a vertical guide-piece secured to the upper head of the receptacle and slidably passed through the guide-aperture in the cross-piece, means secured to the head of the guide-piece to yieldingly hold the receptacle in upper position, influent and efliuent pipes united into a single vertical pipe-section having a vertical partition therein and the infiuent-pipe extended upward within the receptacle, valves positioned in said pipes, a sleeve secured in the bottom of the receptacle and slidably disposed on the partitioned pipesection, and means connected to the valves and the receptacle to actuate the valves.

2. In a steam trap, supporting-colun1ns connected at their upper ends by a cross-piece having a central guiding-aperture, a vertically-reciprocable receptacle positioned between the columns, a vertical guide-piece secured to the upper head ot the receptacle and slidably arranged through the aperture in the cross-piece, oppositely-disposed levers pivotally secured to the head of the guide-piece, weights on the levers, vertical supports connected to the levers, a stufling-box sleeve secured to the bottom of the receptacle to slidi ably engage on the vertical pipe-section, in- :fluent and eflluent pipes below the receptacle said pipes united into a single vertical extension arranged in the stuffing-box sleeve and having a vertical partition and the influentpipe extending upward into the receptacle, valves in the influent and the effluent pipes, a lever to actuate the valves, a rod lixed to the receptacle and connected to the lever, and vertically-yielding supports secured to the columns onto which the receptacle descends. 3. Tlhecombination with the vertically-movable receptacle and the guide extension secured to the head thereof, of levers pivotally secured to the head of the guide extension, weights on the levers which balance the receptacle in normal condition, supports for the levers, and links connecting the supports to the levers, whereby when the receptacledescends the levers are raised to stand in vertical position between the supports.

4. The combination with the movable receptacle and a sleeve depending from its bottom, of the inflnent and the eiiluent pipes united into a single vertical partitioned pipesection disposed within the depending sleeve and over which it may slide, valves in said pipes, a lever to actuate the valves, and a rod carried by the receptacle and connected to the lever to operate the latter.

In testimony whereof ailiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, June 16, 1904.

JOHN H. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

J. W. ()oisUuN, E G. HAnMAN'r. 

